1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cutting apparatuses and image forming apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
A POS (Point-Of-Sales) terminal or a ticket issuing apparatus may include a compact thermal printer apparatus. The printer apparatus may include a cutting apparatus to automatically cut a continuous-feed paper or, a cutter to help manual cutting of the continuous-feed paper.
In the case of the printer apparatus including the cutting apparatus to automatically cut the continuous-feed paper, the cutting apparatus is mounted on a main body of the printer apparatus. The main body of the printer apparatus includes a thermal head, a platen, a motor, and the like. The cutting apparatus includes a movable blade mechanism having a fixed (or stationary) blade, a movable blade, and a motor or the like that moves the movable blade.
On the other hand, the cutter to help manual cutting of the continuous-feed paper includes a fixed blade that is mounted on the main body of the printer apparatus. The continuous-feed paper is cut by the fixed blade when the continuous-feed paper is pulsed in a predetermined direction relative to the fixed blade.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a conventional printer apparatus. A printer apparatus 100 illustrated in the right portion of FIG. 1 is formed by a combination of a printer unit 101 and a cutting apparatus 102 that are illustrated in the left portion of FIG. 1. The printer unit 101 includes a thermal head, for example. The cutting apparatus 102 includes a function of automatically cutting a continuous-feed paper. The printer unit 101 and the cutting apparatus 102 are integrally formed, that is, the two are fixed by screws or the like to form the printer apparatus 100. For this reason, the printer apparatus 100 including the cutter function becomes relatively bulky, and it becomes necessary to disassemble the inside of the printer apparatus 100 in order to simply replace a cutter blade of the cutting apparatus 102, for example. Alternatively, the entire cutting apparatus 102 would have to be replaced by a new cutting apparatus. In either case, it takes time and cost to replace the cutter blade or the entire cutting apparatus 102. As a result, the maintenance cost of the printer apparatus 100 including the cutter function is relatively high.
In another structure of the printer apparatus including the cutter function, a fixed blade and a cutter driving part to drive a movable blade are mounted on the main body of the printer apparatus that includes the thermal head, for example. The cutter driving part integrally includes a motor, a gear mechanism, and the like. In this case, it may be possible to reduce the size of the printer apparatus as a whole because the cutter driving part is mounted on the main body of the printer apparatus. However, it is difficult to replace only the cutter driving part, and the maintenance cost of the printer apparatus including the cutter function is relatively high.
Examples of image forming apparatuses including cutter functions are proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 2005-271204 and No. 2009-143100, for example.